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Round-up

April 20, 2009 at 7:00 am · Categories: Gampaha, Human Rights, Human Security, Peace and Conflict, Poetry | by Indran Amirthanayagam

219 Tamils
were rounded
up in Gampaha
town during
dusk to dawn raids.

They had no
proper id cards
and did not
offer adequate
reason

to be living
in the vicinity.
Their Sri
Lankan
citizenship,

rights to move
about the
multi-ethnic,
multicultural
country do

not hold up
to scrutiny
under Prevention
of Terrorism Act
which allows

for exceptions
to such liberal
silliness
as equality
under law.

Writers Under Siege

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Journalist J.S. Tissainayagam released on bail: Implications for freedom of expression Tamil journalist J.S. Tissainayagam was enlarged on bail today pending the appeal of his conviction under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. Groundviews spoke with Asanga Welikala, Senior Researcher at the Centre for Policy Alternatives, for his views on this development and its implications for media freedom and the freedom of expression in Sri Lanka. For... Groundviews, January 11, 2010
Equal Treatment Citizens of Killinochchi and Mullaitivu fled before our liberators arrived. They live for the moment in nearby jungle under a canopy punctured by shells. Some moved to a safe zone demarcated by liberators where they have fallen since to errant fire. Others ran into liberators’ arms and live now protected in large barb-wired camps. January 27, 2009 Part of the Writers Under Siege collection on Groundviews. For more information, click here. For a response to these poems by award... Indran Amirthanayagam, March 22, 2009

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sham said,

April 20, 2009 @ 5:19 pm

time for the FAT LADY to sing rather than hiding behind the skirts of civilian ladies…

President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, on the 7th of April this year, slammed the cowardice of an international Community that abandoned his people 15 years ago. During this event, marking the anniversary of Tutsi genocide, the survivors hissed at the “failure of humanity” to prevent the orgy of violence. They said that the outside world was guilty because it abandoned a people it should have protected.

The International Communiy(IC) are the “root cause” of the genocide Kagame said.

Genocide in Rwanda was about 50 years after the genocide of Jews in Germany. In 1948, the UN had international covenants in place to prevent any genocide and assured the human race “we are safe from any future genocide”.

We are 15 years away from the genocide in Rwanda. Now, there is an orgy of violence by the Sri Lankan soldiers. Tamil civilians are being shelled and killed in the so called “safe zone”, created for the safety of IDP’s by the IC, but erroneously left to be kept “safe” by the very murderers and butchers committing genocide.

The Sinhalese leaders were and are a bunch of ill educated populists; educated in ethnic language and popular like rotten meat attracting flies. The IC, knowingly, has made the “rotten meat” to stink.

Sinhalese leaders are spineless racists and would never come up to protect Tamil civilians or grant the legitimate rights of Tamils for self governance and self determination of their future in the North East(NE) of SL. There was persistent authoritarian military repression, political cheating and anti Tamil propaganda from Colombo for the past 60 years.

Instead of chiseling away the military power of Colombo governemnt and preventing the expansion of authoritarianism into genocide, the IC supplied military hardware and assistance to displace and kill Tamils.

Consequently, with defiant arrogance, the Sri Lankan state has said “No” to calls of ceasefire by many countries; “No” to Britain, its former colonial ruler, for a special envoy to be appointed; “No” to Norway as peace facilitator; “No” to the UN for Human Rights Monitors; No…No…No… to everything to protect Tamil lives or grant their rights.

Inspite of repeated “No”, IC has made no attempt to expel this disgraceful genocidal state from the UN, in the manner apartheid South Africa was expelled and punished. There are 140 signatory states to the UN convention on genocide, yet none has brought SL to the International Court of Justice to stop Tamil genocide. And the carnage continues daily.

Surely, as in Rwanda there is “failure of humanity” in the NE of SL and the outside world is guilty of abandoning the Tamil victims of genocide.

Engun said,

April 20, 2009 @ 8:17 pm

I believe the Tamils are fond of a saying, point your finger at others, and three others are pointing at you. You say the Sinhalese government is racist, but you don’t say the LTTE, which is campaigning for an even more racist state of affairs by establishing a mono-ethnic racist utopia for Tamils, is racist.

You can hide behind all sorts of excuses, but a truly non-racist person would be campaigning for equality for all citizens concerned, not a separate racist state based entirely on the concept of “race”.

As long as people continue to side with extremism, expect to see extremism in return. And please stop this nonsensical claim of genocide, people are getting pretty wise to it: http://www.nationalpost.com/opinion/story.html?id=1501065

Engun said,

April 20, 2009 @ 8:30 pm

I hasten to add, everyone has concerns about the civilians. But this is not a state of affairs that can be unravelled with a kind pat on Prabha’s back asking him to let the civilians go like a good ‘ol chap, and not shoot them in the back.

Your sincere concern for the civilians would be better displayed by asking that sociopathic despot to lay down his arms and give up his human shield, rather than continuing to declare your support for terror and violence.

Engun said,

April 20, 2009 @ 8:54 pm

Oh and my apologies, both of the above comments were aimed at Sam Thambipillai. Apologies for any confusion.

To the author of the poem, I agree with you in sentiment, but do you have a practical suggestion as to how this ideal state of affairs can be reached when terrorists are mingling with civilians?

First, let’s remove the scourge of terrorism. Once we remove that unnecessary stigma from the ordinary civilian, let’s work towards addressing these problems and marching towards a truly plural society. There is no point in complaining about a little bruise on your hand while in the middle of a heart-attack.

lasantha said,

April 21, 2009 @ 11:44 am

to the US ambassdor of SL

how come you want us to stop the war when you fight against terror taking on so many collateral damage – what is the current civilian deaths figure in iraq?

we have IDP camps in SL for civilians based on a security situdationwhen you have guanthaamo bay with waterbaording .without due legal process

how come you didnt ask israel not to go into Gaza the same way you ask us not to go into the NFZ,??

arent these double standards uncle sam?????????????????

Sarwan said,

April 21, 2009 @ 8:30 pm

Engun,

The anti Tamil maniacs are Mahinda and the military. LTTE must not stop till these human virruses against Tamils are treated pathologically. LTTE protects people but GOSL kills them or puts in concentration camps. Disgraceful yet you support it !!!!!

What Sam Thambipillai has told is 100% correct.

It is hurting you. Take some strong meddication and sleep !!!

Engun said,

April 25, 2009 @ 7:54 am

Sarwan,

I”m sorry, I find it hard to muster any respect at all for a person who claims that the “LTTE protects people but GOSL kills them or puts in concentration camps”. If 26 years of terror hasn’t convinced you, then events in the past few days alone should. There are enough civilians claiming that the LTTE shot them in the back as they tried to leave as well as video footage.

The best suggestion I can give you is to join the LTTE and be protected yourself, instead of supporting this vile machine of terror at the expense of other people’s lives.

I don’t claim that the GOSL is filled with saints, but your claim is so deeply disgusting that it only displays your willful refusal to think. I just feel sorry for those hapless civilians who have fallen victim to the extremism of people like you.

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